A/N:

Moro: Second installment! This time I bring you a puzzleshipping Christmas!

Mitsu: You've all been waiting for this one, I have no doubt.

Moro: The third one was supposed to come out directly on the 25th, but I don't see that happening. It's a big project. Let's just leave it at that.

Mitsu: And now we bring to you a Yami/Yuugi Christmas!

Disclaimer:

Moro: -sleep talking- I own Yu-Gi-Oh!…mmmmm Takahashi, get me my coffee…

Mitsu: Let her dream…

"Yami! The mail's here!" Yuugi called, walking back into the game shop holding a stack of envelopes in his hands.

Yami looked up from the television remote control he was messing with, "Oh? Is there anything for me?"

Yuugi sunk into the plush couch and flipped through the stack, "Let me check," he said and hummed to himself as he scanned the addresses, "Bills, bills, bills, junk, bills, junk, ah!" Yuugi handed a red and green envelope to Yami, "Here."

This surprised Yami. Nobody besides Yuugi's friends even knew about him, so why would he be getting mail? That's what those small boxes with buttons on them are for. Those inventions were truly something. Usually when Yami needed to tell someone something, he would send his servants to take a scroll to whoever he was corresponding with. Abandoning his inner monologue, Yami tore open the envelope and pulled the glittery card out. Yuugi leaned over Yami's shoulder as he opened the card up, making some loose glitter particles fall off of the card and stick to everything within range.

"Yami, you are hereby invited to Anzu Makazi's Christmas party," Yami read aloud, "When? Christmas eve. Where? My house. What time? Eight. Don't be late. Love, Anzu."

"Love?" Yuugi asked, heart sinking.

Yami gave him a disbelieving look, "As if."

"Good," Yuugi said slightly relieved, but still not convinced, "But isn't today Christmas eve?"

"Maybe these Gods of Postal Serving aren't as high and mighty as they claim to be in those commercials," Yami scoffed and gestured to the television set, "I'm glad we got it in time, though. Right, Aibou?"

"Hey, Yami?" Yuugi examined the envelope carefully, "It's only addressed to you."

It seemed for Yuugi that this Christmas would be very different from the other one's he'd had. Very different indeed.

---Later That Evening---

Yuugi stood by the kitchen counter pressing cookie cutters into a sheet of raw cookie dough. His favorite red and green Christmas apron was tied tightly around his waist, and he had flour smudged on one cheek. Wearing a look of extreme concentration, he skillfully stamped out festive shapes.

Rushed footfalls were heard coming down the steps and Yami strode purposefully into the kitchen, "Aibou, I can't get this buckled!" He was dressed in a long gray sleeveless shirt and black jeans. His dark socks made no noise and he padded softly up behind Yuugi, and his favorite studded leather collar was held tightly in one hand.

Chuckling softly, Yuugi turned around to critique Yami's outfit. Looking him up and down with calculating eyes, he finally made his judgment, "Stunning as always, Yami."

Yami flushed slightly, pleased that his Yuugi approved of his outfit, 'I bet he'd look good in it. Hm, I think he'd look best in nothing…Ah! Shut up brain!' Abandoning his inner monologue again before it could get any farther, Yami went back to the more pressing matter at hand, "Yuugi, I can't buckle this!"

Yuugi wiped the flour off of his hands and took the collar from his dark. Reaching behind Yami's neck, he wrapped it around his slender neck and fumbled with the buckle for a second before successfully securing it. "There," he said, mouth right next to Yami's ear, "Perfect."

Yami pulled away quickly, fighting the overpowering urge to do improper things to his light. Instead, he smiled calmly, "Thanks. So what are you making?"

"Christmas cookie cut-outs," Yuugi replied, turning back to the dough and picking up a tree-shaped metal cookie cutter.

"Can I help?" Yami asked.

Laughing, Yuugi turned his head to look back at him, "You have to go to that party, Yami. What time were you supposed to leave, anyway?"

"Oh," Yami looked at his fancy digital watch Yuugi had given him, "Ten minutes ago," he said and sat down in a chair, pulling on a pair of black boots and lacing them up. He then walked over and pulled on his coat, and, waving goodbye to Yuugi, slammed the game shop door behind him on his way out.

Yuugi listened until he was sure Yami was gone before letting out a soft whimper. Sniffling loudly, he continued with his project while fighting back tears, "Why was he invited and not me, too?" he wondered forlornly out loud, "Why would Anzu just leave me out?" Peeling away the excess dough, Yuugi tried his hardest to convince himself that Anzu and Yami would be good together anyway.

It seemed for Yuugi that this Christmas would be very different from the other ones he'd had. Very different indeed.

Anzu stood in the doorway waving her arms in greeting as Yami walked carefully up the icy sidewalk towards her. Before he even got halfway there, she rushed out and squeezed him around his middle in a hug, "Yami! I'm so glad you made it! I was afraid the invitation wouldn't come in time."

Yami peeled her arms off of him, "It came in time, all right. Can we go inside now, though? It's freezing out here."

"Of course!" she said and giggled, "Let's go!" she grabbed his hand and led him up the sidewalk.

"By the way, what happened to Yuugi's invitation?" Yami asked, trying unsuccessfully to break her iron grip on his hand.

Anzu just smiled mysteriously, "Don't worry about him, Yami. I didn't invite him," she said as she dragged him into the house and shut the door.

"Didn't invite him?" Yami asked a little too late, because by that time Anzu was busy helping Malik convince Marik to let the "hostages" go.

"Come on, Marik!" Malik called to his yami, who was perched on top of the refrigerator, "Honda and Otogi need to come down now!"

Yami walked into the living room and automatically found Bakura and Ryou. He walked over to the pair, "Hey, guys."

"Hey, pharaoh," Bakura greeted distractedly, finding the holiday cartoon Anzu had playing on her television much more interesting at the moment.

"Hi, Yami!" greeted Ryou, who was more than happy to have someone attentive to talk to, "What's up? Where's Yuugi?"

"Anzu didn't invite him for some reason," he replied sourly, "Any idea why?"

"No clue, but why'd you come if Yuugi wasn't invited?" Ryou asked.

"Because I was invited, I guess. Isn't it proper etiquette in this modern time to accept an invitation to somewhere no matter who is attending?"

"I guess so," Ryou thought a moment, "But leaving him home alone wasn't too smart, either. Yuugi doesn't do so well alone, especially now with his grandfather having passed away recently."

"But he told me he would be fine," Yami told him. Guilt was slowly welling up inside of him.

"Yuugi would do that. He doesn't like to let people know his weaknesses. I believe he learned that from you, by the way. Right, Bakura?" Ryou asked, hoping to get even a little reaction out of the tomb robber.

A few seconds went by. Nothing.

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled, "Help! Marik's eating me!"

"He's what!?" Bakura jumped off of the couch and tore his gaze away from the television set. When he realized what had happened he was not happy, "Ryou! That's not fair!"

Yami left the couple to their bickering and sought out Anzu. He found her in the dining room. She was artfully arranging snacks and finger foods on plates, "Hey, Anzu? Can we talk for a moment?"

Anzu's face lit up, "Sure, Yami!" she gave him her full attention, "What's on your mind?"

"Why exactly didn't you invite Yuugi?"

"Oh, silly!" Anzu giggled, "You don't need to worry about your little problem! You're completely Yuugi-free tonight! Guaranteed!" Yami just looked puzzled and slightly angry, "I noticed the way he hangs off you. Don't think I haven't. Just because he's the other part of your soul or whatever doesn't mean you two should spend every waking moment with each other. He's always hovering around, making you do things for him, and bugging you all the time so I figured it'd be nice for you to have a little break from him. Besides, with him gone we can work on our relationship," she said with a smirk and took a few steps toward him. Their faces were mere inches from each others, "What do you say?"

Yami pulled back with a look of shock and outrage on his face, "You think I mind taking care of Yuugi?! Anzu, you just don't get it, do you? He's my entire reason for existence, for Ra's sake!"

She chuckled nervously, "Come on, Yami. Joke's over, okay?"

"No, Anzu, it's not a joke. There never was a joke," he said with his crimson eyes narrowed. Turning away form her, he left the room in a state of raw anger. Wordlessly putting on his coat, he opened he door and stepped out into the flurry of snowflakes, slamming the door behind him.

The game shop was filled with the delicious aroma of freshly baked vanilla sugar cookies. Yuugi sighed sadly and pulled a tray out of the oven. Putting it on the stovetop to cool off, he couldn't help but wish Yami was helping him make these. He carefully removed his oven mitts and walked back over the counter to shape more confections for the next batch.

Suddenly, the shop door banged open and a rush of cold air blew through the house. Yuugi, dressed in only a white tank-top and sweatpants, shivered against the frosty wind on his bare skin.

Yami kicked off his boots, threw his coat in a pile on the floor, and dropped himself unceremoniously into a chair.

"H-Hi, Yami!" Yuugi rubbed at the tear stains under his eye with his wrist, "You're b-back early."

One look at his crying hikari and all of his anger dissipated, quickly replaced by concern, "Oh, Yuugi, I'm sorry," he stood up and wrapped his arms comfortingly around his light's waist, "Please tell me what's wrong."

Yuugi laughed loudly, clearly faking some sort of amusement, and suddenly became very interested in the ceramic-tiled floor, "Wrong? W-Why would anything b-be wrong?"

Yami rested his chin on top of Yuugi's head as the smaller one shook with suppressed sobs, "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you if you don't want to, Aibou. Next time, though, please tell me if you don't want me to leave," he said tenderly and continued talking in an attempt to calm Yuugi down, "Guess what? Anzu didn't invite you because she thought you were in the way of our relationship. Can you believe that? She actually thought I had feelings for her."

"Y-Yeah. S-Stupid…," Yuugi took in a shaky breath.

He looked down suspiciously, "You don't think that, too. Do you?"

"W-Well…"

Before Yuugi even had time to rub at the fresh tears in his eyes, Yami had spun him around and was kissing the wet tracks on his face, "Don't ever believe, even for a moment, that I'd ever love anyone other than you, Aibou."

"Y-Yami?" Yuugi asked in surprise, but was silenced by a gentle kiss on his lips.

It seemed for Yuugi that this Christmas would be very different from the other one's he'd had. Very different indeed.

A/N:

Moro: Not my best, but I hope you all liked it anyway!

Mitsu: Feel free to REVIEW!